Warlick: Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia re-committed to respecting Karabakh ceasefire during Olympics

The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan re-committed to respecting the ceasefire on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops during the Olympic Games in Sochi, the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick said.

"Good news. The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan re-committed to respecting the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire during the Olympics," Warlick wrote on his official Twitter account.

The situation remains tense on the contact line. Earlier the head of the press service of Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Lieutenant-Colonel Vagif Dergahli told Trend that most ceasefire violations are observed in the directions of Fizuli, Agdam, Terter, Goranboy, Khojavend and Jabrayil districts.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs expressed their deep concern over continued violence in the region

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

The Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, from Feb.7 to Feb.23.

In total 98 sets of medals in 15 sports will be played and the competitions will be held at 11 sports facilities.